PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Robert Cormier was a journalist and author, acclaimed for his young adult novels with their uncompromising examination of contemporary issues. His novels included the prize-winning THE CHOCOLATE WAR and I AM THE CHEESE. Robert Cormier lived all his life in Massachusetts, USA; he died in 2000 aged 75.
Hero Francis Cassavant has recently returned from World War II hideously disfigured by a grenade, intent on killing erstwhile youth leader Larry LaSalle, now also a wounded hero. In flashback we learn of LaSalle's assault on Nicole, a young girl whom Francis adored. The style and voice is evocative of Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, and Cormier captures the obsessiveness of Francis's mission. A gripping thriller for mature readers. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. (16 yrs +) (Kirkus UK)
